If you needed a reminder that Joey Votto is the best pure hitter in baseball, you got one this evening as the Reds defeated the Phillies 10-0. Joey Votto came to the plate six times and reached base all six times, including a two-run home run in the top of the ninth that served as the cherry on top of a delicious cupcake. Overall, Votto had two walks and four hits including the homer, a double, and two singles.

Votto is the second player to reach base six times in one game this season, joining teammate Shin-Soo Choo who accomplished the feat on April 20 against the Marlins. Prior to that, Diamondbacks second baseman Aaron Hill reached base six times last September 4 against the Giants. Neil Walker, Ben Zobrist, and Mark Reynolds also joined Hill last year.

Votto entered today’s game with the 15th-best weighted on-base average at .410, somehow a shade below his career average .413. To put his career in historical perspective, he also had a career adjusted OPS of 155, tied for the 19th-best mark in baseball history among players with at least 3,000 career plate appearances. (100 is average.) Other players at 155 include Hank Aaron, Joe DiMaggio, and Mel Ott. Not bad company.

Votto’s the best position player to ever come out of Canada, period. Better than Larry Walker, especially considering Larry Walker spent a decade hitting in Coors Field. Granted, Walker had a few batting titles to his name, but he posted those crazy above .350 averages only when he was hitting in Colorado, which to me skews that a little bit.

IMO, the only better Canadian MLB player to ever set foot on a field is Fergie Jenkins.

Check out the stats of some of the older guys on this list and you will see that Votto didn’t have the numbers guys like Williams, DiMaggio, Greenberg, and Gehrig had early in their careers. Votto will have to elevate his game quite a bit to be compared with all-time greats like these. At least he has a chance.

Check out the stats of some of the older guys on this list and you will see that Votto didn’t have the numbers guys like Williams, DiMaggio, Greenberg, and Gehrig had early in their careers. Votto will have to elevate his game quite a bit to be compared with all-time greats like these. At least he has a chance.
========
Except for the fact that he’s already being compared to the greats.